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<br /> „ 'P�€��t�' �W k^x f�'� ��1'.S 3FS* yam. 1.”- t--,.,.-?'
<br /> been fortunate to have people 1
<br /> �„ �K,�,✓;Sy u!�P71B�liia7lt ` vor
<br /> 'We'veur been who
<br /> are m , , � companies such as Elk River Machine
<br /> 0
<br /> oEn-
<br /> those community and got a e aggressiveggr our 1 !-a Company and Metal Craft Machine &osely competitor,and we,the Loge ofElkRiver, — E��,_„ a } .f __'
<br /> gwhat
<br /> thees are strong representations rinsnd -
<br /> for some of the financing. We wanted toYY .- 4 ,,,, what city is trying to bring to its Indus
<br /> make Elk River a shopping area, a desti- trial base.
<br /> nation area as opposed to a drive-through Workforce issues are a concern for all
<br /> town." -T4 . ..- -{ ` Imo`' businesses in today's economy. However,
<br /> Mission accomplished. Gongoll and ", " �� 4,� _- .� the Elk River area appears to have a high
<br /> others got their growth, and then some. , 4-
<br /> '� ry 1 ' � concentration of skilled labor. "We seem
<br /> "I believe the growth happened a little to have a large pool of people in the area
<br /> yii -�
<br /> fasterthan we projected,"Gongoll said. Our � : r;-t:::'''''''' � � ��� �i � .�
<br /> " ���'� � � ����b with trade skills," Nevinski said. He also
<br /> residential growth has precipitated our retail 1 Y �' noted that Elk River firms pull people from
<br /> sector,and now we're working on stimulat- the Twin Cites, St. Cloud, and even from
<br /> ing our industrial base.But overall,I'm very more rural areas of the state.
<br /> pleased with our strong and vibrant econ- The breakdown of the city's industrial
<br /> omy."
<br /> base bears this out.The number of Industrial
<br /> Besides his bank duties,Gongoll is one of machinery-related companies has reached
<br /> governors of the Elk River Investment ': 18 while the mineral and rubber-plastic in-
<br /> fiveClub,an LLC of 22 members.One of the chief dustries take a distant second with four com-
<br /> goals of the club is to work with the City of Elk panies each.The industrial-machinery cat-
<br /> River in getting new companies into the city's 4 it,; ' ' f � �
<br /> „ - : Y - . egory also leads in the employee category
<br /> incubatorprogram. ®� with 28 percent of the industrial workforce,
<br /> "We try to coordinate,"Gongoll said "our ;3 ;' ` , . �, followed by the fabricated metal and elec-
<br /> efforts with the city to help emerging busi- w tronic equipment sectors with 22 percent
<br /> et out of the garage,so to speak, each.Mineral employment accounts for 15
<br /> -_-
<br /> vskp he incubator program.Currently the percent ofthe workforce while
<br /> club is working with rout or fiveueyt : rubber plastic
<br /> businesses oys nine percent.
<br /> at this time. Our club gets a commitment ��_
<br /> from the proprietor that his or her business But those numbers will soon turn old.To
<br /> balance residential and retail growth,the city
<br /> remain in the incubator or at some Inca- �" T Fs created two new industrial parks,appropri-
<br /> willtion in Elk River.It's venture capital that's for � � y �� �'���-�� -�����_ „,,,,,42z.--` �, ately dubbed the East and West Business
<br /> businesses River.
<br /> venture
<br /> in Elk River.”grow `� °� "���' ``3 ;� �- 4 :� Parks. Phase I of the East Park, a 40-acre
<br /> When the city did take over the business � : tract that will include a 50,000-square-foot
<br /> )ark,there were approximately half a dozen multi-tenant building,will have access to a
<br /> r th availereaThatparkwasalfy four-lane
<br /> fully built- J. industrial by U.S.l 169e and the The park is
<br /> gut in 1999 and is home to companies such 7.s�...-- � ��_
<br /> �� � r-,--1--:=1- -,t,'"1:1;', �� � also bordered by U . Burlington
<br /> s the Tescom Corporation(high purity and � �` ' � '} i Northern Railway.Adjacent to the 40 fetes
<br /> idustrial controls),Alltool Manufacturing lies another 90 acres which will be Phase
<br /> netal fabrication),E&O Tool&Plastics(pias- II of the East Business Park. Just to the
<br /> s)and the Custom Conveyor Corporation south of Phase II, across 173'° Street, is
<br /> onveyorequipment).And there's the Cretex the site of the proposed North Star Corti-
<br /> impanies Incorporated,makers of concrete i 64; t dor Station,a depot that will run from Rice
<br /> ders for bridges and culverts, a cum (north of St.Cloud)all the way into the Twin
<br /> •ny that has stayed in Elk River and has 40 n,no• Cities. I
<br /> iived, and a variety of other industries. ACRES "The commuter
<br /> eond U.S. a istheHorizon storm \ f; , — _ erIme willconnectitieshe
<br /> C-1 light rail system in the Twin Cities,'
<br /> stirs Company that moved to Elk River Fhb f � �����"�` -‘�� � Nevinski said, "and run down. to the air-
<br /> lugust of 1998: In two years it has ex- •o. + f port,eventually going into St.Paul and the
<br /> ded its workforce to 30 and projected AC-ES,tili °; outlying suburbs. Right now we have a
<br /> s are two million dollars. Horizon is 1 .. Nor,:
<br /> ' ° double track that runs through town that
<br /> ora ope,serving customers ; �" •r ;+ '1'
<br /> averages 50 to 60 trains a day.We do have
<br /> �t to ast. Horizon Thermoform fromand a rail spur downtown, and some busi
<br /> �� nesses haveof t.h) ‘;` ..„..._ .\._ \___; advantage of that.'
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